February Digital Magazine

46 february issue
HOW STUDENTS ARE EXPRESSING
THEMSELVES THROUGH TIKTOK
How TikTok is positively
affecting the Teenage Mind
TikTok is an app that has been
growing in popularity since June
of 2019. The revamped version of
Musical.ly has brought a new enthusiasm
for teenagers to share parts of their
lives. This could include them talking
about crazy stories that have happened
to them or situations that they are dealing
with. One popular topic of TikTok
is mental health. TikTok has given a
platform to students and teenagers to
open up and have a discussion about
illnesses they are struggling with. This
includes depression, anxiety,
and other
disorders.
This is creating a new discussion
and a further openness towards these
topics that might have been more uncomfortable
to discuss before. This platform
also allows a coping opportunity
through humor. Ilana Reed, a sophomore,
said “I talk about a lot of stuff that
I am dealing with through TikTok but
it’s not as serious as I might talk about
it in real life. And I think that makes it
an easier topic of discussion for me and
maybe for other people. I know when I
see people that are posting about their
issues, it helps me feel like it’s normal
or that I’m not alone”. This sense of
not being alone that TikTok provides
allows for students to open up and feel
better about themselves making this
form of content a type of coping mechanism
for many people struggling with
these types of mental health issues.
TikTok is also facilitating a
place for students to feel safe to
express their opinions or
complaints about things
that they wouldn’t
say out loud or
even to anybody
else. Though
this could be
viewed negatively
due
to the fact
that allowing
students
to
complain
openly
can lead
to rudeness
and an inability
to put
up with minuscule
things that
annoy them, it allows for connection
between students. Lastly, TikTok has
opened up stylistic ideas for students
who might have not chosen to express
themselves through their clothes or artistically
previously to do so. This has
allowed students who might have ordinarily
felt uninspired or motivated to
try new things to actively look for things
that inspire them. Genevieve Bavisoto, a
Sophmore, said, “Since I started watching
TikTok I have definitely tried a little
harder with my outfits and now it’s like
a new hobby for me to pick out clothes
every morning and have them reflect
how I feel.”
This ability to allow teenagers to express
themselves in invaluable in our
time of depression and lack of self-confidence
among students.
These new platforms have
connected students throughout the
TikTok app and possibly the world. The
sharing of new ideas, complaints, and
struggles has created a new way of how
one might view our society. This newly
formed view can allow for an overall
happier generation that is open to having
plain discussions about previously
avoided topics. This openness is crucial
for young students when they approach
asking for help. Overall, this new facilitator
for student expression could
lead to a healthier generation, which is
much needed in a time like this.
lizzie thompson|staff wroter